Britain's High Court has ruled that five Channel migrants' deportations were unlawful, dealing a significant blow to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's "one-in, one-out" immigration scheme. The migrants successfully argued that changes to the rules, which removed their right to appeal deportation orders unless they were recognized as victims of human trafficking, violated their fundamental rights.
The court's decision found that the migrants' basic rights could not be disregarded for the sake of administrative efficiency or to expedite removals. This ruling potentially opens the door for more asylum seekers to challenge their deportations under similar circumstances.
The "one-in, one-out" policy, part of an agreement with France, allows for the detention and return of small boat migrants to France in exchange for an equivalent number of individuals arriving through legal channels. Since the policy's inception, 921 small boat migrants have been deported to France, with Britain accepting 896 in return. The agreement aims to curb illegal crossings, with over 200,000 migrants having crossed the English Channel illegally since records began in 2018.
Despite the government's efforts, the policy faces internal opposition, with nearly 80 Labour backbenchers reportedly urging Andy Burnham to modify the reforms, arguing that such policies alienate progressive voters.